ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY, DAVAO CITY (APRIL 26, 2019) — Transforming former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants into agents of peace and development will be the key in the successful implementation of the Normalization track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
This was underscored by the Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr. during a multi-sectoral policy dialogue held here participated by representatives from the academe, civil society and religious sector “We need to change the mindset of the (MILF) leaders. Or else, we will go nowhere,” Galvez said, explaining that the mentoring of these ex-fighters is one of the strategic approaches being employed under the Normalization phase.
According to the chief peace adviser, ideology and social conditions are among the primary “drivers” of conflict in communities.
“These factors are mutually reinforcing,” Galvez said, citing the ISIS-aligned Maute group as an example of an ideology-driven organization.
He said that it’s therefore crucial for the government to address these factors, which can be achieved by positively influencing the mindset and attitudes of these grizzled warriors and mentoring them to become responsible leaders in the community.
Galvez cited the national government’s experience with MILF leader Commander Bravo who only a couple of years ago, led his men in armed confrontations with military forces.
Those days of exchanging gunfire are over, he said. The once fierce rebel fighter has shifted his attention from firing bullets to farming abaca and now personally manages his own plantation.
Galvez said that for the past two years, Bravo has been actively encouraging his comrades to join him in his enterprise which shows great promise.
He noted that another major indication of Bravo’s complete turn-around is the laying down of his firearms, which were his trademark during his days as a combatant.
“Today, he doesn’t even have a single firearm,” Galvez said.
He also pointed out that Bravo’s appointment as a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is concrete proof of his complete transformation from warrior to peace-advocacy and community leader.
“If we don’t change the mindset of these fighters, we won’t have sustainable change and development. We can’t have another Mamasapano,” Galvez said.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had earlier approved in principle the proposed Executive Order (EO) on Normalization. It is a comprehensive plan of the national government that is designed to aid former combatants as they undergo the delicate transition process.
The Normalization process has four major components: the security aspect, socio-economic development program, confidence-building measures, and transitional justice and reconciliation.
At least 12,000 members of the MILF’s Bangamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) and their firearms will undergo the decommissioning process this year. ###
